Life-preserving suit



April 7, 1925.

A. KURTIS LIFE PRESERVING sUT Filed det. 4, 1924 Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

[1N GELS KU'LS, OIF-BROOKLYN, NEVI YORK.

LFE-PRESERVING SUET.

Application filed Octobert, 1924. Sera No. 741,739.

To all who/u it muy concern:

Be it known that I, intimosv KU'n'ris, a citizen of the United States,residing Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain newand useful improvements in a Life-Preserving Suit,of which the following is a specification.

'lhis invention relates to improve life preserving garments and has rerits principal object to provide a suit which may be easily and readilyapplied tothe body and worn in ease of an emergency while on a ship.

Another important. object of the inv/*ein tion is to pro-vide thelif'epreservin,

g sunA of the above mentioned character whieh will be water tightwhereby the wearer of the same will ybe held above a surface of 'thewater.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a lifepreserving suit of the above mentioned character', which is simple inconstruction, inenpc sive, strong and durable and furthermore adaptedfor the purposes for which it is designated.

@ther objects and advantages of this in` vention will become apparentduring lthe.

course of the folloni'ing description.

ln the accompanying drawing forming` a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the lifepreserving suit embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 2?-2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the waist line encircling member, and

Figure 4t is a view of the outer waist line encircling band.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is sho-wn thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the shirtportion, the same being formed preferably of rubber and lined with clothor any )other suitable material. The neck portion 2 thereof is adaptedto fit snugly around the neck of the wearer. The sleeves 3 of the shirtportion are provided at their ends with the hand coverings The trousersportion is designated by the numeral 5 and the legs 6 thereof areprovided at their lower ends with the foot coverings 7. The lowerportion of the jacket or shirt 1 is adapted to entend over the upperportion of the trousers 5 in the manner clearly illustrated in l* igurel. rihe trousers portion is also formed of rubber and maybe lined withany suitable liningl in a manner similar to the shirt or jacket 1.

For the purpose rolding the jacket 1 and the trousers 5 in airtight andwater proof relation, the line er irclingbaud tl is provider'. The samecomp;ses the complementai7 sections 9 and l0 respectively.`

proper position on the bodyV of 'the wearer and on the inside of thelife preserving garment. Each the sections of the waist line encirclingmember is provided on its outer with the ribs 19 and the purpose ofthese ribs is to provid a means for engageface i 1.o ment with theovelrpj illustrated in Figure 1. rEhe portions of the overlappingportions of the jacket and trousers which are disposed adjacent the ribswill be forced outwardly to provide the bulged portions 13 and 14:.

fr retaining belt 15, preferably of leather,

is adapted to extend around the waist line of the person wearing thelife preserving garment on the outside of the garment and the usualfastening means 16 and 1'? is associated with the respective ends of thebelt. Arranged on the inner face of the belt 15 are the ribs 18` Therubber ribs or strips 18 associated with the inner face of the belt 15cooperates with the bulged portions 13 and 14: respectively of the Vlifepreserving garment in further rendering the garment water proof at thejuncture of the jacket and the trousers. The garment is adapted to beintlated by any suitable pump such as is carried in the pocket 19provided on the acket 1 therefor. theV pump being illustrated at 20.

the lool-ring pins 11 are in portions of the i jacket and trousers inthe manner clearlyrv An inflating valve 21 is associated with the Yjacket for connection to the pump in order to permit the jacket andtrousers to be inflated with air. An iniatable tube 22 ex tends aroundthe jacket or 'shirt portion 1 and the same is also provided with an in-Hating valve 23. An additional pocket 2e is provided inthe jacket orshirt portion -l for receiving a receptacle 25 in which is containeddrinking Water.

If desired, the trousers may be supported on the body of the wearer byproviding the suspender straps 26.

A life preserving suit ofthe above inentioned character, may be readily-and easily put on andl iniiated whenever it becomes necessary such asin the .case of al ship wreck and when the suit is inflated as well asthe core 22, thel wearer Will be kept afloat upon the \vater.` rllhesimplicity in which my improved lite preserving suit is constructedenables the saine to be manufactured at a very low cost and will furtherbe efficient in carrying out the purposes for which the same isdesignated.

While l( haveshown the preferred embodiment of my invention,`itis to beunderstood that variouschanges inthe sizesh`ape and arrangement of partsmay. be resorteidi'to 4 "Without departing from thespi'rit of theinvention andthe scope ot' the appended claims.

V.Having thus described the invention, what I claiiniszl l. In a lifepreserving suit comprising an inflatable jacket, hand coverings on theends of the sleeves or' the jacket, an iniiatable trousers portion,iioot coverings on the lower ends of the legs thereof, the adjacent endsoi the jacket and trousers portionbeing arranged in overlapping'relation, means encircling the Waist line of the'wearer for holding thejacket and trousers portion in air tight and Water tight relation, saidmeans `coniprising complementary Asections Aof the snit, ribsfondetachably secured together at their respcctive ends and ,arrangedl onthe inside of the suit, ribs on the outer face ot said sections forengagement with the overlapping portionsotY the jacket and trousers, anda band extending around the Waist line on the outside ot the garment,and means associated with the band ffor cooperation With the bulgedportions of the ov )rlapping portions ot the jacketand trousers -formedby the ribs on the complementary sections.

2. In a lite preserving suit comprising an inflatablejacket,rhand,coverings on the ends oit the lsleeves of the jacket, anintiatablc trousers portion, foot coverings on the lower ends of thelegs thereof, the adja ent ends or the jacketand trousers portion beingar ranged in overlapping relation, means encircling the Waist line o1"the wearer for holding the jacket andtrousers portion in air tight andWater Atight relation, said means comprising complementary sectionsdeta-chably secured together at their respective ends and arranged ontheinside the outer face ol said sections for engagement with theoverlapping portions V of the jacketand trousers, and a band entending-around 'the waist line on ihe outside o1" the garment, meansassociated., with the band for cooperation withthe bulged portions ofthe overlapping portions oi' thev jacket and trousers formed by the ribson the complementary sections, said last mentioned means coniiprisingrubber stripsvari'anged on the inside ot' said band.

n testimony whereof I' allix my signature.

